Electric fixture



Dec. 3, 1940. A. F. PIEPER ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed May 8, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. flvamse Z. we?

Dec. 3, 1940. A. F. PIEPER ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed may 8, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ilZ vkanse 2. W67 W 1 W5 I ATTOVRIY'EY.

Patented Dec, 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric fixture, with more particularreference to the general type of lamp construction disclosed inapplication Serial No. 324,535, filed March 18, 1940, em-

ploying elongated lighting elements such as fluorescent tubes, and hasfor its purpose to afford a practical and efiicient structure adapted tosupporting such lighting elements in a lamp or other fixture. m Afurther object of the invention is to provide a construction of fewparts and simple design, in which a multiplicity of elongated lightelements can be rigidly supported in various intersecting verticalplanes and each inclined to the horizontal, affording a strong supportfor the light elements and facilitating the positioning or replacementof any individual light element.

Another purpose of the invention is to afford an arrangement thatenables mounting all the light elements on a central post locatedintermediate the ends of transversely extending light elements and theircarrier frames, thus eliminatig the necessity of a. frame or othersupporting means surrounding or located outside the ends of the lightelements, so as not to interfere with the conventional arrangement andrelationship of a central lamp standard and shade supported thereon.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a structure adaptedto supporting elongated light elements, and which can be manufactured atsuch a low cost as to place the device within the financial reach of alarge number of people.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, thenovel features being pointed out in the claims following thespecification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation, the shade appearing in section,showing a lamp equipped with one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the relation between the supporting postlight elements; v

, Fig. 3 is a detail view in side elevation of one of the lighting tubesand its carrier frame;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken transversely through thesupporting post and the attached tubular member of one of the carrierframes, and

and the elongated Fig. 5 is a partial view in side supporting post.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like referencenumerals refer to the sameparts throughout the several views, I des- 5ignates a lamp base provided with a conventional switch 2 and reactors 3from which the conductors lead upwardly through the central supportingpost 4 to the light elements presently to be described.

The invention is shown as adapted to accommodating conventionalfluorescent light tubes, although any type of elongated light elementmay be employed, where it is desirable to arrange the tubes or light,elements transversely of a central vertically arranged supporting postand preferably in inclined relation thereto.

In the structure disclosed, there are four such light elementsdesignated at 6 and 8, and 1 and 8 respectively. The tubes 5 and 6 arearranged parallel to each other on opposite sides of the supporting post4 and in right angular relationship to the tubes 1 and 8 which are alsodisposed on opposite sides of the supporting post, as shown in Fig. 2.The tubes of each pair are inclined in opposite directions as shown inFig. 1, so that each tube extends over one tube of the other pair andunder the other tube of the same pair, affording a symmetricaldisposition of the light elements and resulting in an even distributionand maximum diffusion of light.

All the light tubes are mounted upon the central supporting post 4, andto this end each tube is secured in a carrier frame, see Fig. 3, whichincludes a member preferably in the form of a tube 9 that extendsendwise of the light element and is provided at its ends with lateralextensions 10 which carry the sockets Ill within which the light tube 8is detachably arranged. Each carrier frame is supported on the centralpost 4, extending transversely thereof, by attaching the tube 9 at apoint between its ends rigidly to the supporting post 4.

The individual carrier frames may be attached to the supporting post inany convenient way, and in the present embodiment, this is accomplishedby soldering or welding each tubular member 9 to the supporting post 4at the desired angle of inclination. This may be accomplished byproviding the post 4 with a groove or slot ll in its periphery at thedesired angle, the tube 9 being anchored in the slot II and rigidlyattached by a soldered or welded joint.

In order to accommodate the electric conductors, the supporting post 4is preferably made elevation of the hollow, as shown-in Fig. 4, andprovided with openings l2, see Fig. 5, which are coincident withopenings IS in the tubular members 9, so that the electric conductorsfor each light element extend from the base I upwardly through the post4 and thence through the opening in the post and through the tubularmember 9 to the sockets l0.

l3 designates a conventional shade or shield surrounding the'lightelements and provided with a frame H at the top, which is supported onthe upper end of the central post 4. While the invention is disclosed inconjunction with a lamp and lamp base, it will be understood.

that the same principle may be applied to a depending supporting postforming part of a ceiling or wall fixture, in which the individual lightelements are mounted on carrier frames, each' carrier frame preferablyextending endwise of its light element and being attached to thesupporting post at a point between the ends of the carrier frame.

The light elements need not necessarily be arranged in pairs as shown,but each may be located in symmetrical angular relationship to the otherlight elements, and the carrier frames may be constructed in variousways, the essential characteristic of the invention being that eachcarrier frame extends transversely of the supporting post and is rigidlyattached at a point between its ends to the supporting post.

While the invention has been described with reference to the details ofconstruction herein disclosed, it is not confined to this preciseembodiment, and this application is intended to cover such modificationsor departures as may come within the purposes of the invention or thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an electric fixture, the combination with a vertically arrangedhollow supporting post and an elongated light element disposedtransversely with respect to said supporting post, of a tube attached ata point between its-ends to the supporting post, the supporting post andtube having coincident openings to receive electric conductors, andsockets at the ends of the tube for supporting the light element, thesaid tube having a cross-section considerably smaller than thecross-section of the light element so as to offer a minimum obstructionto the rays from said light element; said tube constituting the solemeans of support for the light element, and the post constituting thesole means of support for said tube.

2. In an electric fixture, the combination with a vertically arrangedsupporting post, of a multiplicity of elongated light elements disposedtransversely of said supporting post and inclined to the horizontal, asupporting bar for each of said light elements extending endwise thereofand attached at a point between its ends to the supporting post, andsockets at the ends of each bar for supporting a light element, each ofsaid bars having a cross-section considerably smaller than thecrosssection of the light element so as to offer a minimum obstructionto the rays from said light element; said bars constituting .the solemeans of support for the light elements,

and the post constituting the sole means of support for said bars.

3. In an electric fixture, the combination with a vertically arrangedsupporting post, of a pair of elongated light elements disposedtransverse- 1y of' said supporting post on opposite sides thereof andinclined in opposite directions, a second pair of elongated lightelements disposed on opposite sides of said supporting post and in rightangular relationship to the first mentioned light elements, a supportingbar for each light element extending endwise thereof and attached at apoint between its ends to the supporting post, and sockets at the endsof each supporting bar for supporting a light element, the said barshaving a cross-section considerably smaller than the cross-section ofthe light elements so as to ofier a minimum obstruction to the rays fromsaid light elements;,said bars constituting the sole means of supportfor the light elements, and the post constituting the sole means ofsupport for said bars.

4. In an electric fixture, the combination with a vertically arrangedhollow supporting post and a multiplicity of elongated light elementsdisposed in intersecting vertical planes in inclined position and onopposite sides of the supporting post, of a tubular member for eachlight element extending endwise thereof and provided at its ends withsockets for holding the light element, each tubular member beingattached between its ends to said supporting post, the supporting postand tubular member having coincident openings to receive electricconductors and the tubular members having a cross-section considerablysmaller than the cross-section of the light elements so as to offer aminimum obstruction to the rays from said light elements; said tubularmembers constituting the sole means of support for the light elements,and the post constituting the sole means of support for said tubularmembers.

ALPI-IONSE F. PIEPER.

